You Know Where You Belong
by englishstrawbie
Summary: Stef/Lena fic. Series of ficlets.
1. Quinceanera

**Written for L. Beta'd by KB.**

* * *

Stef winced as she slipped her heels back on, her feet objecting to being squeezed into such a tight space again. The room was empty except for a few stragglers. Mariana had left, bounding off to meet her friends for an after-party on the beach. A pile of presents lay stacked up in one corner, waiting to be unwrapped in the morning. Stef took a moment to appreciate the peace and quiet, a stark contrast to the craziness of the last few days. As she did, she felt a hand wrap around her waist from behind and a chin rest itself on her shoulder.

"I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted," Lena purred.

Stef smiled. "Home?"

"Home," Lena agreed. She scrunched her nose as she surveyed the room. "Do you think it's okay if we leave without helping them clean up?"

"Yes!" Stef scoffed. "We've paid enough for this thing already, there's no way I'm tidying up too."

She felt a warm breath on her neck as Lena leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for indulging me with this party. I know it was a lot of money."

"I get it," Stef said softly, spinning around to face her wife. "We'll make the numbers add up, we always do." She took a breath before adding, "just don't tell me how much the tiara cost."

Lena's cheeks flushed with guilt as Stef looked around them.

"I haven't seen your mom for a while," she commented.

"She went home about an hour ago," Lena said, hurt creeping into her voice again.

"Are you okay?" Stef asked with a tilt of her head, recalling their conversation from earlier that evening.

"Yes. No," Lena answered, shaking her head with frustration. "I don't know, but I _do_ know that I'm not going to let it ruin the twins' birthday celebrations."

Stef responded with a slight nod, knowing that this wasn't the end of their conversation. Still, they had planned a family lunch tomorrow for Jesus and the last thing either of them wanted was for there to be a bad atmosphere around the table. She reached out and grabbed Lena's hand, squeezing it gently and eliciting the smile she wanted to see.

"Come on, let's go home." Stef paused, looking around the room once more. "Honey, do you have any idea where the rest of our kids are?"

Lena followed her gaze, surveying the empty space. "I got a message from Brandon saying that he was driving Mike home. I think he was knocking back the scotch a little too hard," she said. She studied Stef's face, watching as it darkened slightly. "Should we would be worried?"

Stef bit her bottom lip. "I don't know," she admitted ruefully. "What about Jesus?"

"Walking Lexi home. Callie?"

Their eyes met, feeling simultaneously worried and guilty that they didn't know where their foster daughter was.

"She's probably at the beach too, right?" Lena asked, trying to convince them both that there was nothing to be concerned about. "I'll text Mariana and tell her to look out for her."

"Maybe it's time to get Callie a cellphone like the others," Stef mused.

They both looked down at the sleeping form nearby, the last member of the family to count off the list.

"And then there's Jude."

He was lying across three seats at the next table, his jacket slung over his body as he slept peacefully.

"And Jude," Stef said fondly.

"Stef." Lena's voice had a warning tone.

"What?" Stef asked, eyes wide with innocence.

"We agreed to give these kids a home on one condition..."

"...I know. Don't fall in love with them. I'm not," Stef denied, convincing no one.

Lena smiled, knowing her wife all too well. "Uh huh." She shuffled in closer and caught her lips in a kiss. "Let's go home."

* * *

Stef dropped onto the mattress, lying back with her legs hanging over the edge of the bed, and let out a loud sigh of relief on behalf of her feet.

"I feel like I could sleep for a week," she groaned, closing her eyes and sinking into the sheets. "What are the chances that the kids'll let us sleep in tomorrow?"

Lena smiled, slipping out of her heels and shrugging her jacket off, tossing it to one side. She wandered to the end of the bed and lifted Stef's legs one by one, sliding each shoe off and dropping it on the floor. Stef opened her eyes slightly, squinting up at the beauty at the end of the bed.

"You wanna give me a foot rub while you're down there?" she said with a cheeky smile.

Lena grinned and dug her thumbs into Stef's arches. Her wife sighed, eyes rolling back into her head and a soft moan of pleasure escaping from her lips.

"Oh, you're really good at that."

"Yeah?"

"Hmm. You've always been good with your hands."

Lena chuckled, working the aches and pains in her partner's feet. "And what do I get in return?" she asked flirtatiously.

Stef opened her eyes and smiled. "How about breakfast in bed?"

Lena pursed her lips, pretending to think about the suggestion.

"No? How about I make dinner every night for the next week?"

"Hmm, maybe," Lena teased.

"You're a hard woman to please," Stef grumbled with a playful pout. "Ok, so what would you like in return?"

Lena smirked. She let go of Stef's feet, ignoring her protests, and dropped down onto the bed. She slid in between Stef's legs and, resting her hands either side of her shoulders, lowered her body gracefully on top of her wife.

"I can think of one thing I really, _really_ want," she murmured, their lips brushing together as she spoke.

"Yeah?" Stef's hands found their way to Lena's hips and underneath her shirt, running her fingertips over soft skin. "What thing?"

Lena answered her with a kiss, pressing her lips down hard. Another satisfied moan escaped from the woman underneath her and she smiled smugly into the kiss. Stef's back arched as she lifted her legs, the bottom of her dress falling to the top of her legs. Lena let her body weight dip as she moved one hand down the bed, running her palms down Stef's toned thigh. Their kiss deepened. It had been a while since they'd had a night to themselves and Lena felt months of desire beginning to stir, spreading across her stomach. Her chest tightened as Stef's hands ran up and down her back, grabbing her ass and hauling her in closer; hips clashing. All the while, their lips stayed locked together.

If only the kids hadn't arrived home earlier than expected.

The sound of arguing floated into the bedroom. Lena lifted her body up as rapid Spanish filled their ears, while Stef tipped her head backwards.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"Is that the twins?" Lena questioned, a frown forming on her face. She rolled onto her side of the bed, lifting onto her elbows. They lay side by side as they listened to the fighting get louder.

"We should probably intervene," Lena sighed.

"Uh huh," Stef grunted non-committedly. She copied Lena's actions and lifted up onto her elbows. "Ready?"

Lena nodded. They both raised one hand.

"Rock, paper, scissors," they said in unison. Lena made a cutting motion with her scissors towards Stef's flat paper hand.

"Ugh," Stef grumbled. She shuffled down the bed, swatting Lena's legs as she stood up.

"You're lucky you're pretty."

Lena laughed as Stef walked out of the room, dropping back down onto the bed as she heard her wife berate their children for the interruption.

_"The next person who yells is getting grounded for a month!"_

She let out a deep sigh, hoping to vent her frustration with one big exhale. This wasn't exactly the end to the evening she had been hoping for._  
_

As she listened to Stef trying to diffuse the situation downstairs, she thought about the night they'd had. She thought about the kids waltzing and how grown up they had looked. When did that happen? When did they stop being her babies? She thought about the video montage that she and Stef had put together, hours spent pouring over videos and photos of the life and the family they had built together. Now that family was getting bigger and she knew that Stef wasn't the only one who was breaking their rule. Her capacity to love had got bigger the day she had met her partner – her wife – and it had carried on growing every day since.

As her mind wandered, a smile spread across her face. Stef was right about one thing: she did know where she belonged.

Here.


	2. Vigil

**Thank you so much for your reviews, follows and favourites. They are all very much appreciated and encouraged me to write another story. :)**

**Beta'd by KB.**

* * *

Lena's eyes cracked open in the morning sunlight and, for a moment, she didn't remember.

She was buried underneath the blankets, her head resting on the plump pillow beneath her, and as she breathed deeply all she could smell was the scent of Stef's vanilla spice perfume. She waited for the familiar feeling of strong arms wrapping around her waist, the grumbling in her ear at the morning's arrival, and the soft kiss on her shoulder.

It didn't come. All that came was a sudden recollection of the weekend's events.

The phone call from Mike; the cold walls of the hospital waiting room; the fear and uncertainty and anger that settled over her heart as she waited for news. The tubes and machines and discarded gauze lying around the emergency room; the image of Stef on the hospital gurney with a taunting bullet hole in her side. The blood, thick and red and staining everything it touched, so vivid in her memories.

Lena sat up and wiped the trickle of sweat from her forehead as she tried desperately to push those thoughts out of her mind. Her body ached, a fitful night's sleep doing nothing to alleviate the stress that had worked its way into her back and shoulders and settled there in knots. She pushed her shoulders back and rolled her neck. What she wouldn't give to have her partner's hands on her body right now, soothing and massaging the pain away.

Her hand wandered mindlessly to the spot behind her where Stef would normally lie, the empty space causing her heart to contract. It was rare for them to spend a night apart and Lena hated the idea of Stef all alone in the hospital, with no home comforts.

Lena looked down at the other side of the bed. There was a gap where Mariana had fallen asleep beside her earlier and Lena guessed that she had probably grown frustrated by her mother's tossing and turning all night.

She glanced up at the clock on the bedside table, which read 6:16am. Not caring about the early hour, Lena grabbed her cell phone and called the hospital, the nursing staff assuring her that Stef was still okay and sleeping.

Knowing that sleep was out of the question for herself, Lena climbed out of bed, slid her feet into her slippers and padded out to the hallway. Slowly, as quietly as possible, she pushed each bedroom door open. Mariana was safe in her own bed, sprawled out on her front and hugging the pillow beneath her, a small frown on her face giving away the guilt that she still carried. Callie lay on her back, her hands gripping the bed sheets tightly.

In the next room, Brandon lay on his side, his cheeks stained red and the pillow he rested on wet from soaking up his tears. Lena stopped to watch him sleep for a while, taken aback by how much he looked like a little boy again. She couldn't help but lean down and gently press her lips to his hair, like she used to when he was younger.

Across the hallway, Jesus faced the window, the blankets rising and falling in a steady rhythm as he slept. As Lena moved across the room, her feet brushed against a small, crumpled piece of paper on the floor by his bed. She picked it up and smoothed the edges, anger creeping in again when she saw the details of the woman's shelter that Jesus had tried so hard to get Ana into. Screwing it up, she tossed it into the bin, dismissing all thoughts of that woman and focussing on her family instead.

She came to Jude last, who was curled up in a ball and holding a photograph against his chest. The morning sunlight gleamed over it, showing a young Callie of maybe four or five years old with a woman who was so obviously her mother, kneeling in front of a baby who could only be Jude. She knelt down beside the bed and studied his face. There was so much about this young boy that she didn't know. As she watched him, he opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he took in his surroundings.

"Lena?"

"It's okay, sweetheart. Everything's okay," Lena said gently. She brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Thank you for holding my hand yesterday."

Jude offered her a small smile.

"Are we going to the hospital today?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course. We'll go in a few hours," Lena promised. "Get some more sleep, okay?"

Jude gave a small nod and closed his eyes as Lena kissed his forehead.

Stepping out into the hallway, she inhaled deeply. Five kids and she couldn't help but think how close she had come to becoming a single mom. The thought of doing it all without Stef terrified her. They weren't a family without Stef; she was the one who held them together when everything around them seemed to be falling apart.

A small smile spread across her face, taking her by surprise. It was going to be okay. They were going to have a happy ending – the twins were safe, Stef was going to be fine, and they were going to get married. It was all going to be okay.

* * *

They arrived at the hospital just after 9.30am. None of the kids had slept late, all of them anxious to be with their mom. Lena sent them to the shop, telling them that it would be nice if they arrived with gifts and flowers, but selfishly wanting a few moments with her partner before the kids drew her attention away.

Stef was upright in bed, her head tipped to one side and her eyes closed; her brow furrowed as if she were thinking deeply about something. The mask over her mouth was gone, but she still had a tube in her nose. Her arms rested by her side, her left hand clenched in a tight fist. Lena paused in the doorway. Stef was never quiet; she was brash and noisy and had a smart mouth, always with a quip or a joke. She had been a whirlwind in Lena's life for the last ten years and the silence was hard to take.

Lena stepped inside the room and placed her bag carefully on the chair, causing Stef to stir.

"Hey," Stef murmured a little groggily, turning her head.

"Hey," Lena said, walking up to the bed and taking her love's right hand in her own. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't, I was just resting." Stef looked towards the door. "Where are the kids?"

"At the gift shop, they'll be here soon," Lena said. "They all can't wait to see you."

Stef smiled, her face lighting up immediately. Lena returned the gesture.

"You look brighter today," she said, unable to hide her delight at seeing her partner more awake. She brushed a stray piece of hair away from Stef's eyes and leaned forwards to kiss her temple, lingering for a moment. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, pretty good," Stef answered. "Although I could have done without the guy next door watching repeats of _Jeopardy_ at one o'clock in the morning, especially because he was so bad at it. I, on the other hand, would have won us almost $4,000 thanks to my wealth of knowledge about the American presidents."

They both chuckled, the smile falling quickly from Lena's face when she noticed Stef wince.

"Are you okay? Are you in pain?" Lena asked, frowning. She pulled back, as if she was about to rush out of the room to find a nurse, but Stef caught her hand to stop her.

"I'm okay. It just hurts to laugh," she said.

Lena chewed on her bottom lip, unconvinced.

Stef squeezed her hand. "I'm okay," she repeated. "Just no laughing, only serious conversation." She frowned solemnly, but her eyes twinkled playfully.

Lena pursed her lips, the corners of her mouth twisting upwards as she tried to hide a smirk. "Serious conversation, huh?" she mused, stepping up to the bed once more. "We'll see how long that lasts."

Stef grinned. Her eyes drifted to her left hand and she lifted it, unclenching her fist slowly. Lena's gaze followed.

"The nurse brought me my stuff this morning. They pulled my necklace off when I got here."

Curled in her hand was a thin silver chain with a small diamond hanging from it. She let one end of the chain drop, the link broken. "You gave me this on our tenth anniversary."

"I know," Lena said, remembering their celebrations clearly in her mind.

"They broke it."

"It's okay," Lena said, catching the chain and wrapping her hand around Stef's. "We can fix it."

"But it won't be the same."

Her words hung in the air and Lena wasn't sure if she was still talking about the necklace.

"Hey," Lena said, lifting herself to perch on the edge of the bed and capturing Stef's attention. "It's just a necklace. If it's broken, we'll fix it. And it'll be just as special as before, I promise; maybe even more so."

Stef gave a small nod. As she dipped her head, Lena kissed her forehead. They stayed leaning into each other for a moment, until Stef looked up.

"Did you tell the kids we're getting married?" she asked.

"Not yet," Lena admitted. "I thought maybe we'd do it together. Besides, I… I wanted to make sure that you really meant it. That it wasn't just some drug-induced euphoria."

She blushed bashfully, dropping her eyes and running her thumb lightly over the back of Stef's arm.

"Lena," Stef said softly.

"I just… I want you to ask because _you_ want to get married, not because _I_ want it," Lena confessed. She looked up to see Stef staring intently at her. "I love everything about our life just as it is, you know that, right? Nothing has to change."

"I know," Stef said emphatically. "I want to marry you, Lena. Because I love you; because I belong with you and you belong with me. Forever."

Lena felt her eyes filling with tears, elation spreading across her chest, and she nodded, letting out a small laugh. "Good answer."

Stef smirked. "Come here," she murmured.

Lena shuffled forwards and kissed her fiancée hard. Never again would she let Stef leave the house without kissing her goodbye and telling her that she loved her.

They kept their foreheads pressed against each other, their noses squashed affectionately. "I love you, too," Lena whispered.

The sound of playful bickering amongst their children came floating down the hallway and into the room. Lena pulled back slightly.

"Let's tell them right now," she said resolutely. "Let's tell them we're getting married."

Stef smiled. "We're getting married."


End file.
